ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota deer hunters will again be able to donate venison to state food shelves this year. The Minnesota Hunter Harvested Venison Donation Program is aimed at providing a source of protein for people in need while helping reduce deer populations. The program is operated by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and state food shelves. Last year, Minnesota hunters donated 421 deer to the program, which provided more than 15,000 pounds of processed venison to Minnesota food shelves.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Tighter rules are being blamed for a sharp drop-off in donations of venison to Minnesota's 300 food shelves. Since the state began requiring X-rays of donated venison to ensure it's not contaminated with lead from bullet fragments, donations have plunged from 78,500 pounds in 2007 to about 20,000 pounds in 2010. Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee, said meat processors are not participating in the program because of all the rules.

Jon Frohling is a Canadian bacon-pineapple pizza kind of guy. So he decided to add pineapple to bratwursts at his Hecla-based business, Frohling Meats. "I just come up with stuff on a whim," Frohling said. The pineapple brats are a hit. So are Frohling's wild rice and cheese brats and spicy mozzarella brats. If you haven't gotten the point yet, let's drive it home: Deer season has begun, and when you're looking to get your venison processed, you've got more options than you might think.

It's been said that Paris Hilton could screw up a county fair. Well, sometimes I feel the same way about cooking roast venison. I'm wonderful when it comes to stir frying the stuff, but I tend to overcook my roasts. So this time, I'm not even going to talk about how long to cook them. Just stick a meat thermometer in there and stop cooking when the meat gets to ?rare.? Anything else will make your venison dry and leathery. The real key to a good chunk of roast meat is the spice. That's something I can handle.

RAPID CITY - The state Health Department has provided guidelines after concerns surfaced in other states that venison donated to food banks could be contaminated with lead from bullets. State health officials are waiting for test results from other states before making further recommendations. Meanwhile, Community Food Banks of South Dakota won't accept any more venison donations until more information is available. "Right now, we've asked the agencies we deal with to hold the deer meat until we get somewhat clear guidelines on it," said Matt Gassen, executive director of that agency.

By Kevin Michalowski, Special to the American News | September 26, 2008

It's been said that Paris Hilton could screw up a county fair. Well, sometimes I feel the same way about cooking roast venison. I'm wonderful when it comes to stir frying the stuff, but I tend to overcook my roasts. So this time, I'm not even going to talk about how long to cook them. Just stick a meat thermometer in there and stop cooking when the meat gets to ?rare.? Anything else will make your venison dry and leathery. The real key to a good chunk of roast meat is the spice. That's something I can handle.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota deer hunters will again be able to donate venison to state food shelves this year. The Minnesota Hunter Harvested Venison Donation Program is aimed at providing a source of protein for people in need while helping reduce deer populations. The program is operated by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and state food shelves. Last year, Minnesota hunters donated 421 deer to the program, which provided more than 15,000 pounds of processed venison to Minnesota food shelves.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Tighter rules are being blamed for a sharp drop-off in donations of venison to Minnesota's 300 food shelves. Since the state began requiring X-rays of donated venison to ensure it's not contaminated with lead from bullet fragments, donations have plunged from 78,500 pounds in 2007 to about 20,000 pounds in 2010. Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee, said meat processors are not participating in the program because of all the rules.

BY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI, Special to the American News | November 25, 2011

It's hunting season, and that means freezers will be full of healthy great-tasting wild game ... that some people will simply refuse to eat. Those folks who graciously wolfed down all your walleye fillets this summer will suddenly get the willies when it's time to take a bite of venison roast or hasenfeffer. Maybe they just can't get the thought of that lovable little furry creature nibbling on a bush when bam, the sound of gunfire drops it in its tracks. Well, those same people don't think twice about eating an animal that was, until the time of it's death, standing knee-deep in a mixture of mud and poop, being fed a steady diet of medicine and chemically enhanced food.

Minnesota's unofficial dinner of choice took over Washington, D.C. Sen. Al Franken hosted Minnesota Delegation Hotdish Competition earlier thsi year. Sens. Franken and Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, Michele Bachmann, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz made their best hotdish recipes for a friendly competition. Franken hosted the event to help bring together the state's lawmakers before the start of the legislative session, he said. Klobuchar won with her Taconite Tater Tot Hotdish.

If you are successful deer hunter, you might be wondering what to do with all the venison you now have in your freezer. My suggestion is to move it to the cupboard. Put it up as canned venison. You will be happy you did. This stuff is great. But first a warning. My first experience with canned venison was neither pretty nor aromatic. I was ice fishing with a guide on Lake Oahe. He cracked open a jar of venison that clearly ... very clearly ... had not been canned properly.

BY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI, Special to the American News | November 19, 2010

Sometimes you just want something to cook that is as easy as can be. These recipes require no special ingredients or spices and can typically be made with things you already have on the shelf or in the freezer. Grandpa would call these stick-to-the-ribs recipes and would typically have something like this for lunch. Venison and Spuds 6 medium potatoes, diced 1 pound of ground venison 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper 3 tablespoons cooking oil Half cup of milk 2 cans cream of mushroom soup In a large pot, cover the diced potatoes with water, add the garlic powder and boil until the potatoes are soft.

State wildlife officials are encouraging deer hunters in North Dakota to consider donating a deer to the Sportsmen Against Hunger program. The N.D. Game and Fish Department said the charitable program raises money for processing of donated deer, and coordinates distribution of ground venison to food pantries across the state. The program is administered by the North Dakota Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit agency that serves low-income families. North Dakota's deer gun season opens Friday.